The Odd Women eBook

‘Yes, you look very well,’ replied Monica,
glancing at the fair, comely face.

’It’s deceptive. All our family have
wretched constitutions. If I go to work regularly
for a couple of months without a holiday, I sink into
absolute decrepitude. An office-chair has been
specially made for me, to hold me up at the desk.—­I
beg your pardon for this clowning, Mrs. Widdowson,’
he suddenly added in another voice. ’The
air puts me in such spirits. What air it is!
Speaking quite seriously, my mother was saved by coming
to live here. We believed her to be dying, and
now I have hopes that she will live ever so many years
longer.’

He spoke of his mother with evident affection, glancing
kindly towards her with his blue eyes.

Only once or twice had Monica ventured to exchange
a glance with her husband. It satisfied her that
he managed to converse; what his mood really was could
not be determined until afterwards. When they
were about to leave she saw him, to her surprise,
speaking quite pleasantly with Mr. Bevis. A carriage
was procured to convey them home, and as soon as they
had started, Monica asked her husband, with a merry
look, how he had enjoyed himself.

‘There is not much harm in it,’ he replied
dryly.

’Harm? How like you, Edmund, to put it
that way! Now confess you will be glad to go
again.’

‘I shall go if you wish.’

’Unsatisfactory man! You can’t bring
yourself to admit that it was pleasant to be among
new people. I believe, in your heart, you think
all enjoyment is wrong. The music was nice, wasn’t
it?’

’I didn’t think much of the girl’s
singing, but that fellow Bevis wasn’t bad.’

Monica examined him as he spoke, and seemed to suppress
a laugh.

’No, he wasn’t at all bad. I saw
you talking with Mrs. Bevis. Did she tell you
anything about her wonderful son?’

‘Nothing particular.’

‘Oh, then I must tell you the whole story.’

And she did so, in a tone half of jest, half of serious
approval.

‘I don’t see that he has done anything
more than his duty,’ remarked Widdowson at the
end. ‘But he isn’t a bad fellow.’

For private reasons, Monica contrasted this attitude
towards Bevis with the disfavour her husband had shown
to Mr. Barfoot, and was secretly much amused.

Two or three days after they went to spend the morning
at Petit Bot Bay, and there encountered with Bevis
and his three sisters. The result was an invitation
to go back and have lunch at Mrs. Bevis’s lodgings;
they accepted it, and remained with their acquaintances
till dusk. The young man’s holiday was at
an end; next morning he would face the voyage which
he had depicted so grotesquely.

‘And alone!’ he lamented to Monica.
’Only think of it. The girls are all rather
below par just now; they had better stay here for the
present.’